Day 140: Somewhere

"I'm fucking nothing."

We live in a time where we stare in awe of most celebrities, who are in no place to dictate the way we live our lives. Yet, we refuse to allow ourselves to be exposed to the harsh realities of what it's really like to live in Hollywood and truly have that "live fast, die young" mentality. It's much more than just girls, cars, and drugs. Our protagonist, Johnny Marco, living in the famous Chateau Marmont, shows us that the true poison for most hot-shot actors nowadays is absolute loneliness. It's well known amongst my 7DC writers that I'm a rather large Sofia Coppola fan. My reasons for loving all of her films is the same reason why most impatient critics love to bash her films and accuse her of nepotism and her movies of self-indulgence. It's often said that her movies are incapable of being taken seriously because the characters in her film are unsympathetic due to the fact that for the most part, they always seem to be wealthy. I don't quite understand why that's a factor but I suppose it's a matter of opinion. Anyways, what I find interesting about this film is that I have a feeling that Ms.Coppola was aware of these criticisms of her characters and instead of switching gears, she perhaps creates her most unsympathetic character yet: Johnny Marco.

Somewhere is a portrait of the isolated lifestyle an actor endures when their agents are calling them for a new role in a movie and all of their friends only appear when a party starts. Using modern Los Angeles as a backdrop for Johnny Marco's robotic lifestyle, the audience is exposed to his dull and lonely life. Marco is for the most part being told where to show up and what to say throughout the film, he's completely incapable of making a positive decision that will allow him to grow. He stays at the Chateau Marmont, which treats their celebrity visitors like royalty, and waits for a phone call by his agents to tell him what the next move is. Coppola does an excellent job, like always, at creating this atmosphere that makes the audience feel like their in the room with the character. This time, we are sitting in a Hotel living room, sitting down and doing absolutely nothing. Waiting. There are scenes in the film that at first that can come off as pretentious and tedious, such as the opening scene where Marco is driving in circles inside of his Ferrari for a good three minutes. But if you're willing to have some sort of patience, you'll understand that these scenes are put in place because this is what boredom does to you. I'm not saying that this film is about boredom but it definitely shows us that boredom can be a result of not having any true control of your life.

Throughout the film, Marco is looking for any sort of temporary happiness: Strippers, Cars, and Beer. Marco wants to be loved but doesn't know how to love anyone besides himself. There's an interesting scene that in the process references the death of famous German photographer Helmut Newton, where Johnny is leaving the Marmont and he sees that a car has crashed into the gates of Marmont. Right after that, he spots a pretty blonde at a stoplight and decides to follow her. Coppola takes us for the ride by dedicating a whole scene in which Marco follows this woman all the way home until she enters the gates of her mansion, where Marco is forced to return home. Throughout the scene, you see the enthusiasm on Johnny's face, hoping that this woman can feed his thirst for happiness. All seems hopeless until his estranged daughter is seen signing his cast, which he got after falling down a flight of stairs, drunk.

Cleo, Johnny's estranged 12 year old daughter, is what gives Johnny's life some sort of meaning. He's on his best behavior around her and tries his best to impress her throughout her visit. Cleo isn't impressed by any of the glitz and glamor instead all she really wants is her father to act like her father. What I find peculiar about Cleo's character is that she feels no ill will towards her dad and doesn't contain any cynical characteristics inside of her. She merely feels pity for her father, who she sees so much potential in, and simple brushes off his indecent ways. The chemistry between Cleo and Johnny is impossible to ignore. There are times in the movie where subtle chatting between the two can describe the amount of love they both have. After the two go into a pool and fool around with The Strokes "I'll Try Anything Once" playing in the background, they get dry while Cleo tells Johnny the premise behind the Twilight books. These small little moments that the two share are what gives Johnny hope that perhaps that it isn't too late to change. Not for just Cleo's sake but for himself.

Critics have said that nothing happens in this film and that Marco's most humane moments are not believable. I found it hard myself to not tear when Marco was sitting in a hotel room by himself, crying, calling random women to come over and keep him company. He's constantly being reminded by private text messages - from I suppose women that he's done wrong in his life- that he's a failure and that he isn't who he thinks he is. That aforementioned scene is the culmination of all the days of loneliness and witnessing how good Cleo has done without him. Marco does grow and Phoenix's "Love Like A Sunset", throughout the movie, tracks his progress and plays while he let goes of all the things that held him back during his career, and finally be able to start fresh with a touch of optimism that is shown on his face before we fade to black. This film will take years before it receives the appreciation it deserves. I'm just grateful that I was given the opportunity to get a glimpse of a life that so many people nowadays seem to strive for. A short life that includes loneliness, regret, and a longing for something real.